Act Now
c. Hinrich Baesemann UNEP, c. Tasapom Buraraksakiet UNEP, c. 1999 Topham Picturepoint |
We are asking you to act now - to join a web of action - for only if the people of the world act as a large body of pressure may change in the transfer from fossil fuels to renewable energy come about.
Climate change is already changing our world - floods and droughts are increasing, sea level's rising, regional temperatures are breaking new records and natural disasters have increased almost three fold since the 1960's. By 2050 there are estimated to be approx 150 million climate change refugees (3m a year) fleeing their countries, inundated by rising sea levels or seeking food and water.
About 75% of global warming and climate change caused by humans in the last twenty years has been due to the use of fossil fuels - oil, coal and gas - to supply the world's energy including electricity and transport fuels.
If we are to stop global warming and climate change we must reduce the amount of energy we use (energy efficiency) and rapidly transfer to the vast sources of natural energy - to renewable energy : wind energy, solar (the sun's) energy, energy from the seas (tidal, ocean currents and waves) biomass (energy produced from vegetation) and hydropower (dams on streams and rivers) .
WHAT YOU CAN DO
TO HELP STOP GLOBAL WARMING
AND CLIMATE CHANGE
PLEASE
- Change your electricity supply to a green (renewable energy) electricity supplier - this is very important to begin a market led expansion of renewable energy based on consumer support. Just ring up your existing electricity supplier to see if they have a green tariff or look on the internet for one.
- Save energy at home, at your place of work, at your school and colleges - By saving energy less green house gases are produced, which cause global warming. Please go to Save Energy to see how you can do this.
- Try to drive less and more slowly - buy a fuel efficient car and fly less often if you can.
- Vote for local and national
politicians who support renewable energy and keep
writing to your head of state asking
them to develop a climate friendly energy policy
and accelerate the building of renewable energy
schemes. Urge them to provide capital grants as
well as research and development funding for
renewable energy and to introduce policies to
assist their more rapid expansion.
Amnesty International has proven the long term power and benefit of people's commitment to write monthly letters to bring about change - It is important that you keep writing letters for all change takes time and in this instance the goal is difficul that may only come about with the determination and persistence of people.
- Print off 10 or preferably 50 copies of Annexe A and distribute them in your environment, in shops, at your place of work, school or college. Use recycled paper if possible.
- Plant a tree and watch it grow. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, one of the main green house gases causing global warming.
- See if you can get ten people you know to also take action by doing these things
Global average temperatures have only risen by
0.6C but are already causing world-wide damage - by
2100
they may rise by up to almost TEN TIMES this amount
- by up to 5.8C
What scale of devastation will this cause to
our world...
Part of
the danger is that a 30-40 year time lag exists
- so that greenhouse gases that we put into the
atmosphere today will not show their effects
for decades to come - this increases the
urgency to take action NOW - if we are to
protect our world for our children and future
generations.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO BEGIN TO
CREATE
CHANGE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE